Pixar's Soul

[jon_cybernet]

1 hour ago, LeighCb said:

I was lucky enough to see this yesterday. It's a really beautiful film.

 

No story spoilers but I'll hide them just incase- 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Its quite an abstract concept, so I'm not sure how much it will appeal to young kids. 

 

The main themes explore the things that do and don't matter in life. And when things seem desperate and meaningless it can be the little things that can get you by. It really stuck with me afterwards and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. I hope everyone enjoys sobbing their eyes out on Christmas day. 

 

 

 

Where would you place it in the Pixar ranking order?

[LeighCb]

Not sure, I'd like to see it again.

Vague spoilers below.

Spoiler

It follows a similar path to a few of their other films, the story hits the usual notes despite the sometimes abstract setting. There are no huge suprises. But there are certain moments and scenes which are completely beautiful. 

 

Up there with some of the best. Better than Onward for sure but it's hard to compare. 

 

Off the top of my head my Pixar tier list probably looks a bit like this

 

Coco 

Ratatouille 

Wall-E

Monsters Inc

Soul

Inside Out

 

Toy Story series 

Up

Finding Nemo

The Good Dinosaur (I watched this recently and it was much better than I was expecting)

Incredibles series

 

Bugs Life

Brave

Onward

Cars series

[Festoon]

TIs very good, if a little familiar at points. I preferred Wolfwalkers.

[LeighCb]

It's about as close as we will get to Joe Pera making a Pixar movie. 

[BitterToad]

On 11/10/2020 at 10:30, sid said:

Inside out is terrible. The first 20 mins is classic Pixar, absolutely brilliant. But then just turns into utter balls, characters running around chasing the thing for the rest of the film.

 

if it had concentrated on the moody teenager struggling through life, 5-6 classic behaviours and scenarios, and how the numbskulls deal with it, and how they individually overcome stuff and go on same journey.....it would have been possibly the best Pixar film.

 

but it was just utter shit instead. Total missed opportunity 

I find this "Pixar just make films about people chasing things" to be utterly bizarre criticism. Like the kerraigs of the world worked something out that makes them sound like film critics and repeat it ad nauseam. "You know, if you look deep down, all Pixar movies are exactly the same..." 

 

Quite a few films follow a pretty bog standard framework. It's a good way of making new ideas feel familiar or identifiable. Inside Out is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. It's telling children it's okay to be sad. I saw it as a mid twenty something that's always considered myself to be an empathetic decent person and it made me realise that constantly wanting everyone to be happy and never have anything go wrong isn't healthy for them or me. Coco deals with death in such a wonderful way that I can't imagine how much it would have helped me through so many key moments in my life if I'd seen it as a kid. 

 

But oh no, here comes Johnny CinemaSins, the characters chase something so the film has no value. We're so lucky to have filmmakers that can deal with these subjects in familiar, explainable ways. 

[sid]

Meh not for me

 

wall-e, up now there’s some quality Pixar.

 

inside out ran out of ideas after the first 20 mins. Great elevator pitch but just couldn’t see it through....

[schmojo]

You don't like the films where all the quality bits are front-loaded, and then choose Wall-E and Up as your favourites?

 

Seriously, they need to get emojis sorted, just for facepalming alone.

[Stanley]

Guardian review, sounds utterly fabulous.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/13/soul-review-pixars-rapturous-tale-of-a-jazz-nut-on-a-surreal-out-of-body-journey?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

[Nick R]

On 13/10/2020 at 11:54, BitterToad said:

But oh no, here comes Johnny CinemaSins,

 

And his sister, Jane TVTropes.

[PK]

On 13/10/2020 at 00:49, LeighCb said:

It's about as close as we will get to Joe Pera making a Pixar movie. 

 

Sold

[Steve McQueef]

On 13/10/2020 at 12:40, sid said:

inside out ran out of ideas after the first 20 mins.

The sort of shit I'd expect to read from a Toy Story villain. 

[Festoon]

On 13/10/2020 at 11:54, BitterToad said:

I find this "Pixar just make films about people chasing things" to be utterly bizarre criticism. Like the kerraigs of the world worked something out that makes them sound like film critics and repeat it ad nauseam. "You know, if you look deep down, all Pixar movies are exactly the same..." 

 

Quite a few films follow a pretty bog standard framework. It's a good way of making new ideas feel familiar or identifiable. Inside Out is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. It's telling children it's okay to be sad. I saw it as a mid twenty something that's always considered myself to be an empathetic decent person and it made me realise that constantly wanting everyone to be happy and never have anything go wrong isn't healthy for them or me. Coco deals with death in such a wonderful way that I can't imagine how much it would have helped me through so many key moments in my life if I'd seen it as a kid. 

 

But oh no, here comes Johnny CinemaSins, the characters chase something so the film has no value. We're so lucky to have filmmakers that can deal with these subjects in familiar, explainable ways. 

 

While I sympathise with this, Pixar sure do have a lot of main character plus initially 'wacky' sidekick go on a journey and learn an important lesson films. While the messages delivered can still be valuable, the formula can feel very exposed and threadbare on some of them. I think it's an artifact of the 'brain trust' method of creating their films. Certain structures that are plain and clear and work keep coming to the fore.

 

One reason I liked Frozen, actually, was the genuinely unexpected character twist, which really pointed out the last line of the opening number "beware the frozen heart" without spelling it out too obviously.

[Captain Kelsten]

2 hours ago, Festoon said:

 

While I sympathise with this, Pixar sure do have a lot of main character plus initially 'wacky' sidekick go on a journey and learn an important lesson films. While the messages delivered can still be valuable, the formula can feel very exposed and threadbare on some of them. I think it's an artifact of the 'brain trust' method of creating their films. Certain structures that are plain and clear and work keep coming to the fore.

 

One reason I liked Frozen, actually, was the genuinely unexpected character twist, which really pointed out the last line of the opening number "beware the frozen heart" without spelling it out too obviously.

 

And Frozen isn't Pixar! 

[Festoon]

1 hour ago, Doctor Shark said:

 

And Frozen isn't Pixar! 

 

That's what I meant. It's not quite as formulaic - and if Disney are less formulaic than you, something is wrong.

[Captain Kelsten]

Just now, Festoon said:

 

That's what I meant. It's not quite as formulaic - and if Disney are less formulaic than you, something is wrong.

 

I've loved all of Disney's output since Tangled. They've all been great. There's been some wasted potential, but overall they're all good movies. 

[Captain Kelsten]

1 hour ago, Welrain said:

@Doctor Shark it seems remiss not to include Princes and the Frog..an oversight?  I broadly agree but found Wreck It Ralph quite poor ...I think it’s because the Candy King creeps me out and Sarah Silvermans voice is just irritating,

 

Princess and the Frog is alright. I've only seen it a couple of times but it seemed fairly stock Disney tbh.

 

Wreck it Ralph I love, which is just as well as it's on on repeat in my house at the moment due to my youngest discovering it. It's not perfect (it's definitely the wasted potential I mentioned), but I do love it. 

[JohnC]

Some nice touches in it. Bit weird hearing Graham Norton as a pretty important character.

[DukeOfEarlsfield]

The ending felt a little rushed but this is a borderline masterpiece.

 

Spoiler

I loved the subtle insinuation that maybe Joe hasn’t actually learned what his ‘purpose’ in life is, despite knowing what his spark was. A story arc where the audience learns the life lesson, but the character doesn’t. But we know he’s probably going to do just that when the “cameras” stop rolling. Wonderful.

 

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

Bit weird hearing Graham Norton as a pretty important character.

Rachel House as Terry was inspired casting.
 

 

Monsters Inc, Up, Inside Out and now Soul, Pete Docter Pixar is the best Pixar.

[jon_cybernet]

Was absolutely in bits at the end of this. Think the middle section is as close to a straight up comedy as Pixar have ever come, and it definitely has some of the more beautiful scenes they’ve ever done. 
 

Feels like Don Hertzfeldt’s brilliant World of Tommorow animations were an influence too. 

 

 

[thesnwmn]

Loved it! Some lovely animation styles in the early scenes. Moved me to a few years at the end. Perfect Christmas viewing.

[footle]

The mix of styles was delightful. Hell of a lot better than Onward. Only regret is that I’ve not seen some of those early scenes blasted across a full cinema screen.

[thesnwmn]

Just now, footle said:

The mix of styles was delightful. Hell of a lot better than Onward. Only regret is that I’ve not seen some of those early scenes blasted across a full cinema screen.

Yes! I was struck that this was the first time in years I’d thought I wanted something on the big screen. Not the whole film but just the conveyer and bits proceeding it.

[footle]

4 minutes ago, thesnwmn said:

Yes! I was struck that this was the first time in years I’d thought I wanted something on the big screen. Not the whole film but just the conveyer and bits proceeding it.

And some of the more

Spoiler

abstract

parts too, I thought.

[Majora]

Like many Pixar movies it's an inspired beginning and a moving ending sandwiching something much more conventional, in this case

 

Spoiler

A body swap comedy

 

Even the more conventional middle still contained plenty of brilliant little bits though. In fact I'm not sure I'd say it's a great movie so much as a ton of inspired individual moments which was exactly what I thought of Inside Out too. Still very much enjoyed it though.

[Ork1927]

Thought this was very good which may jump to excellent on a repeat viewing.

 

As much as I want cinema back - everyone getting to watch a first rate Pixar film for the first time on Christmas Day at the end of this terrible year is no bad thing.

[Mogster]

I thought this was absolutely wonderful, and right now I'm not sure I can think of a better Pixar movie. It's definitely up there for me.

 

Among everything else I thought the score was amazing. Like the animation it made great use of different styles, shifting from jazz to, well, Trent Reznor.

 

More spoilery thoughts below:

 

Spoiler

I thought the film was going to end with Joe realising that his purpose was to inspire others, like the trombone kid, but it was refreshing that it took things in a much more nuanced direction. 

 

I found it all really emotional, which is almost expected from Pixar at this point but not in the usual Pixar way. I'm not sure I can even explain why after just one watch.

 

[Vulgar Monkey]

Bit surprised to see this is just....up, on Disney+.

Being a recent release I'd have just assumed they'd do a Mulan and charge separately for it. 

 

Will have to give it a watch later.

[mdn2]

It's...ok. I enjoyed it, but it's very Pixar-by-the-numbers. You could tell how it was going to end pretty much from the beginning. The music was fantastic, though. 

[gospvg]

Well that was very good, beautiful and just what we needed for this year. 

[Majora]

The music every time the accountant character appeared was brilliant. I loved the voicework on him too. And the animation as he sneaked around. Actually everything to do with the accountant was brilliant, give him a spin-off.